Guantánamo: A Working-Class History between Empire and Revolution

by Jana K. Lipman

Guantánamo has become a symbol of what has gone wrong in the War on Terror. Yet Guantánamo is more than a U.S. naval base and prison in Cuba, it is a town, and our military occupation there has required more than soldiers and sailors―it has required workers. This revealing history of the women and men who worked on the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay tells the story of U.S.-Cuban relations from a new perspective, and at the same time, shows how neocolonialism, empire, and revolution transformed the lives of everyday people. Drawing from rich oral histories and little-explored Cuban archives, Jana K. Lipman analyzes how the Cold War and the Cuban revolution made the naval base a place devoid of law and accountability. The result is a narrative filled with danger, intrigue, and exploitation throughout the twentieth century. Opening a new window onto the history of U.S. imperialism in the Caribbean and labor history in the region, her book tells how events in Guantánamo and the base created an ominous precedent likely to inform the functioning of U.S. military bases around the world.

Genres: History

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting work of history that redefines the way you view Guantanamo.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book as an example of the historiography of the Cold War. What a joke. This book is not about the Cold War, it is about establishing Jana Lipman's left wing feminist cred. Her greatest revelation: Cubans weren't allowed to access freely an army base on their own island, so IMPERALISM!!1!1!!!. GUESS WHAT?? If the army base was Ft. Hood in Texas, Americans could not waltz on and off at will either.

Also - Prostitution!!!1!!!1!!

Get over yourself Ms. Lipman